William Bowers (1916-1987)

Birthplace:
Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA

Born:
January 17, 1916

Died:
March 27, 1987

William Bowers (Las Cruces, 1916 - Woodland Hills, California, 1987) was a reporter in Long Beach, California before becoming a screenwriter and specializing in writing comedy westerns and also turned out several thrillers. His first credited screenplay was My Favorite Spy in 1942.  His career noticeably picked up after his Oscar nomination for the gritty Gregory Peck Western The Gunfighter in 1950, leading to such assignments as the remake of My Man Godfrey in 1957 and The Sheepman in 1958 (a second Oscar nomination).  Bowers produced the last film that he wrote, the superior Western parody Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). He also had a bit part as an actor in The Godfather Part II (1974).

Additional information:

The Search Form


Producer:
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1975  Mobile Two

Screenplay:
1942  Seven Days' Leave
1945  Sing Your Way Home
1946  Night and Day
1947  Something in the Wind
1947  The Web
1948  Black Bart
1948  Larceny
1948  Pitfall
1948  River Lady
1949  The Gal Who Took the West
1950  Convicted
1950  Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950  The Gunfighter
1951  Cry Danger
1951  The Mob
1952  Assignment: Paris
1953  Split Second
1954  She Couldn't Say No
1955  5 Against the House
1955  Tight Spot
1956  The Best Things in Life Are Free
1957  My Man Godfrey
1958  Imitation General
1958  The Law and Jake Wade
1958  The Sheepman
1961  The Last Time I Saw Archie
1964  Advance to the Rear
1967  The Ride to Hangman's Tree
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1975  Mobile Two

Sound Recordist:
1942  Seven Days' Leave
1945  Sing Your Way Home
1946  Night and Day
1947  Something in the Wind
1947  The Web
1948  Black Bart
1948  Larceny
1948  Pitfall
1948  River Lady
1949  The Gal Who Took the West
1950  Convicted
1950  Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950  The Gunfighter
1951  Cry Danger
1951  The Mob
1952  Assignment: Paris
1953  Split Second
1954  She Couldn't Say No
1955  5 Against the House
1955  Tight Spot
1956  The Best Things in Life Are Free
1957  My Man Godfrey
1958  Imitation General
1958  The Law and Jake Wade
1958  The Sheepman
1961  The Last Time I Saw Archie
1964  Advance to the Rear
1967  The Ride to Hangman's Tree
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1975  Mobile Two
2023  Goodnight, August

Story:
1942  Seven Days' Leave
1943  The Adventures of a Rookie
1945  Sing Your Way Home
1946  Night and Day
1946  The Fabulous Suzanne
1946  The Notorious Lone Wolf
1947  Ladies' Man
1947  Something in the Wind
1947  The Web
1947  The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap
1948  Black Bart
1948  Jungle Patrol
1948  Larceny
1948  Pitfall
1948  River Lady
1949  The Gal Who Took the West
1950  Convicted
1950  Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950  The Gunfighter
1951  Cry Danger
1951  The Mob
1952  Assignment: Paris
1953  Split Second
1954  She Couldn't Say No
1955  5 Against the House
1955  Tight Spot
1956  The Best Things in Life Are Free
1957  My Man Godfrey
1958  Imitation General
1958  The Law and Jake Wade
1958  The Sheepman
1961  The Last Time I Saw Archie
1964  Advance to the Rear
1967  The Ride to Hangman's Tree
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1975  Mobile Two
2023  Goodnight, August

Teleplay:
1942  Seven Days' Leave
1943  The Adventures of a Rookie
1945  Sing Your Way Home
1946  Night and Day
1946  The Fabulous Suzanne
1946  The Notorious Lone Wolf
1947  Ladies' Man
1947  Something in the Wind
1947  The Web
1947  The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap
1948  Black Bart
1948  Jungle Patrol
1948  Larceny
1948  Pitfall
1948  River Lady
1949  The Gal Who Took the West
1950  Convicted
1950  Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950  The Gunfighter
1951  Cry Danger
1951  The Mob
1952  Assignment: Paris
1953  Split Second
1954  She Couldn't Say No
1955  5 Against the House
1955  Tight Spot
1956  The Best Things in Life Are Free
1957  My Man Godfrey
1958  Imitation General
1958  The Law and Jake Wade
1958  The Sheepman
1961  The Last Time I Saw Archie
1964  Advance to the Rear
1967  The Ride to Hangman's Tree
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1974  The Gun and the Pulpit
1975  Mobile Two
1980  More Wild Wild West
2023  Goodnight, August

Writer:
1942  Seven Days' Leave
1943  The Adventures of a Rookie
1945  Sing Your Way Home
1946  Night and Day
1946  The Fabulous Suzanne
1946  The Notorious Lone Wolf
1947  Ladies' Man
1947  Something in the Wind
1947  The Web
1947  The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap
1948  Black Bart
1948  Jungle Patrol
1948  Larceny
1948  Pitfall
1948  River Lady
1948  The Countess of Monte Cristo
1949  Criss Cross
1949  The Gal Who Took the West
1950  Convicted
1950  Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950  The Gunfighter
1951  Cry Danger
1951  The Mob
1952  Assignment: Paris
1952  The San Francisco Story
1953  Split Second
1954  She Couldn't Say No
1955  5 Against the House
1955  Tight Spot
1956  The Best Things in Life Are Free
1957  My Man Godfrey
1958  Imitation General
1958  The Law and Jake Wade
1958  The Sheepman
1959  -30-
1959  Alias Jesse James
1961  The Last Time I Saw Archie
1964  Advance to the Rear
1966  Way... Way Out
1967  The Ride to Hangman's Tree
1969  Support Your Local Sheriff!
1974  Sidekicks
1974  The Gun and the Pulpit
1975  Mobile Two
1978  Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid
1979  The Wild Wild West Revisited
1980  More Wild Wild West
2023  Goodnight, August

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